Guide for sewing-machines.



S. W. AVIS.

Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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WITNESSES: INVENTEIQL wvnww. BY ,QM (ML/g HIS AlTDRNEYS S. W. AVIS.

GUIDE FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I9. 1915.

1,245,306. Patented. Nov. 6, 191?.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- VVlTNESsEs: INVENTDR;

S. W. AVIS.

GUIDE FoII SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I9, 1915. 3,245,30@

Patented NOV. 6, 191?,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

` @i I Y l W ITNEssI-:s: INVENTUM narran srnrns rar onnion.

SAMUEL W. AVIS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE MERROW MACHINE COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

GUIDE FOR vSEVVINCr-lVIACI-IINli-.S.

Application filed February 19, 1915.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, SAMUEL W. AVIS, ay citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Hartford, county of Hartford, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Guides for Sewing-Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the figures and letters of reference thereon.

This invention relates to guides for use on ewing machines designed to form overseam or covering stitches. In the great variety of work wherein stitches of this character are employed it is frequently desirable to introduce into the finish, a strip of material, as a tape, cord, or ribbon, either to add strength to a seam or edge, to enhance the beauty of the finish, or for other purposes. In some cases alternate inclusion and eX- clusion of such a strip is effective. Furthermore a desirable result may obtain by presenting a piece of work in one relation to the line of stitch formation when the str`p is included therewith, and in another relation to the line of stitch formation when said strip is excluded therefrom.

The primary object of my invention is the provision in a machine of the type mentioned of a strip guide, together with mechanism for shifting it from one position to another with respect to the stitch forming mechanism, whereby said guide in one of its positions will direct a strip for inclusion in the finish, while in its other position, said strip will be excluded from the finish.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a fabric guide associated with the mechanism for shifting the strip guide, whereby movement of the elements thus associated will be interdependent.

Other objects of the invention will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings, I have shown in detail one convenient form of embodiment of my invention which is fully set forth in the following description. I do not, however, limit myself to the exact construction illustrated as I may depart therefrom in many Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 9,410.

respects within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims following said descrption.

Referring to the drawings z- Figure l is a front view partly in section of a shell stitch crochet machine showing my invention included therewith.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a part of the machine shown in Fig. l illustrating one position of the guides.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating another position of the guides.

,Figa 4 is a sectional ldetail view of guide shifting mechanism.

nig. 5 is a detail view of a mechanism shown in Fig. at.

Fig, 6 is a view in isometric projection of the guides and mechanism cooperative therewith, and,-

Fig. 7 is a detail view of feed mechanism.

Throughout the several views of the part of the drawings similar characters designate similar parts.

One of themany styles of stitching in connection with which my invention may be used advantageously is that employed in producing a finish for the raw edges ofrlrnitunderwear. In effecting suoli a finish upon apparel itis sometimes requisite that a tape be included with the finish along certain portions of the edge, as for example, about Patented Nov. `6, 1917.

the neck of a garment, where it may serve as reinforcement or as an adjusting draw string. l

One particular style of edge finish well adapted for the alternate inclusion and eX- clusion of` a tape, as in the procedure briefly suggested, is the shell stitch, such' as may be produced on a crochet machine of the well known Merrow type.

In the United States Patent :rt/:414,234 issued Nov. 5, 1889, stitches of this character are described and the kmethod of producing them is set forth, also in United States Patent `#l,045,163 issued Nov. 26, 1912, there is described a machine for producing the crochet shell stitch finish;

Such machines are well known inthe art to which my invention appertains, and inasmuch as the one illustrated in the drawings is of this type, it may, with respect to its general construction, be briefly described as follows The eye pointed needle designated by numeral 1, is carried by a needle bar 2, mounted for reciprocation in bosses 3, and 4, projecting from the head 5, of the machine frame 6.

Reciprccation of needle bar 2, is effected through needle bar clamp 7, link 8, needle bar lever 9, and pitman 10, the latter engaging eccentric 11, on driving shaft 12, which is provided with the usual driving pulley as 13.

ln addition to the needle 1, the stitch forming mechanism includes a crochet hook 14 and a supplemental thread carrier 15, both of which are operated by mechanism which does not fully appear in the drawings of the present case but which has been fully shown and described in United States Patents already mentioned and to which reference may be had.

The numeral 1G designates the presserfoot, 17 the work plate, 18 the needle plate, 19 the chaining finger, 2O the feed dog and 21 the frame cap. A piece of fabric, in which are shown several of the crochet shell stitches, is designated by 22. In forming such stitches as are shown the feed dog 21 is actuated to feed the work only at intervals of several stitch forming cycles. During non-feeding intervals the crocket hook 1d, in its oscillating reciprocating movement ccoperates with the needle 1, to form a series of loops emanating from a single point of needle penetration in the work, said loops extending around the edge of the fabric, including the chaining linger 19, and also a tape as 23, when the latter is included in the edge finish. Besides forming the loops just mentioned the crocket hook also enchains therewith and with each other, loops of needle and supplemental thread to produce an outer edge border.

Introduction into the edge finish of tape 23, as inferred, is best effected at the point near where loops of thread are formed over the chaining finger 19. For the purpose of directing said tape to this point the tape guide 25 is employed. `@aid guide is shiftable from a point where tape 23 carried thereby will be included in the edge finish (see Fig. 3) to a point where it will be excluded therefrom, (see Fig. and vic-e versa. Mechanism for so shifting this tape guide in a convenient manner will now be described. Y Y

Supported by the frame cap 21 is a stud 26 held rigidly in place by a pin 27. The enlarged head 28 of said stud has a bore 29 to receive therein one end of a plunger as 30 terminating at its outer end in a push button A31 ybacked by a spring 32 and having near its other end a socket arm 33 to receive the shank 34 of tape guide 25. Sleeved upon the head 28 is a cylinder 35 having at its inner end an integ al flange 36 engaging the reduced shank of stud 26. At its outer end said cylinder is provided with a flanged cap 37, having a hub 38 which is bored to fit and guide plunger 30. Screws 40 secure cap 37 to cylinder 35 and these members when so assembled, while free to oscillate upon head 28 are longitudinally confined with respect thereto, thus forming a longitudinally fixed element, angularly movable with the tape guide by virtue of an arrangement that will now be explained.

Extending through from the bore 29 to the outer surface of the enlarged head 28 of stud 26 is a spirally disposed slot Ll1 and contiguous to this slot, cylinder 35, and the flange of cap 37, are provided with a straight longitudinally ext-ending slot 4.2. Through both of these slots Ll1 and 42 is extended socket arm 33, whereby when plunger 30 is moved longitudinally, a swinging or arcuate movement will bev imparted to said arm 33 and cylinder-35, due respectively to the inclination of slot 41 and the engagement of arm with slot l2 all for a purpose that will hereinafter more clearly appear.

The spring before mentioned is cenfined between the push button 31 and cap 37 and exerts a constant tendency to force plunger 30 outward from the position in which it is shown in Figs. 1, 2, d, and 6. Referring to these figures it will readily be seen that such outward movement of plunger 30 together with socket arm 33 would effect also a swinging movement thereof about the longitudinal axis of the plunger due to the guiding effect of spiral slot 41. Thus a compound movement comprising a movement bodily and angularly would be imparted to said arm 33 and to the tape guide whereby the delivery end of the latter moving in a helical path would pass from a point above and slightly to the rear of the stitch forming elements to a point just in ad r'ance thereof and practically in the plane of the chaining linger 19, which finger is preferably grooved as at L13 to receive the tape guide head. This is the position said guide occupies when delivering tape to be included in the edge finish. To shift the guide so that the tape will be excluded from the edge finish, push button 31 may be pressed to effect the reverse of the operation Yjust described, thus restoring the tape guide to the position where its delivery end is above and to the rear of the stitch forming elements.

For convenience, the position occupied by t-he tape guide when tape is to be excluded from the edge `nish, will hereinafter be referred to as its upper position while the other position it assumes will be referred to as its lower position.

W'hen the tape guide 25 is in its lower position the spring 32., through the parts described, tends to keep it in definite relation to the chaining nger 19, and incidentally, in proper relation to the stitch forming elements. It follows that said guide 25 must in accordance with the construction shown, be swung to its upper position against the tension of spring 32. To retain it in this upper position and in order that, when so desired, it may be readily released to automatically assume its lower position, a trip latch as 44 is employed. As shown, said latch comprises a ring surrounding theA cylinder 35, and held against longitudinal movement thereon by and between, an outwardly extending flange 45 at the inner end of said cylinder, and the flange 46, of cap 37. A spring 47 surrounds a slightly reduced portion of said latch ring 44, the ends of said spring being attached respectively to the ring and to flange 45 of cylinder 35, from which it follows that a suitable tension on the spring will tend to rotate thering. Beyond a certain extent however, this rotation is limited by a stop pin 49 in iiange 45 which acts against a shoulder 50 formed by a finger piece 51 attached to ring 44. The latch portion of ring 44 is formed by' a slot 52, one side of which is notched as at 53, and provided with an inclined edge 54 leading thereto from the open end of said slot. Nhen ring 4-4 is in its normal position or in other words when it has been shifted by spring 47 in the direction indi- -cated by arrow 14, until shoulder 50 engages stop pin 49, the inclined edge 54 will extend across the slot 42, and intersect the path of socket arm 33. Therefore when the tape guide 25 is shifted to its upper position in the manner already described, the socket arm 33 moving inwardly engages the inclined edge 54 of slot 52 in ring 44 and positively rotates the latter away from its stop 49, against the tension of spring 47, until said guide 25 approaches its upper position and socket arm 33 reaches notch 53, whereupon the locking ring is forced into locking relation.

Vhen the socket arm 33 is thus engaged by the latch ring 44, the tape guide will of course. be held in its upper position and the tape extending diagonally from the tape guide will pass clear of the stitch forming elements to and underva guide spur 55 projecting from the presser foot 16. While it is not wholly essential to employ this guide spur 55 it is very useful to maintain a definite relation between the work and the tape in either position of the tape guide.

To effect the shifting of tape guide 25 from its upper to its lower position it is simply necessar7 to trip the latch 44 by a slight upward pressure on the finger piece 51. thus releasing the parts which will be actuated by spring 32.

When finishing the edge of material tomatically change the position of the fabric guide when the position of the tape guide is changed. While this guide might be set independently of the tape guide shifting mechanism, much time can be saved and accuracy assured by associating it therewith in the manner now to be explained.

Pivoted at one end to a boss 56 on the inner flange of cylinder 35, is a link .61 provided at its other end with a pivotal connection to a slide 62, said pivotal connection comprising the stud 63. The function of lslide 62 will hereinafter appear. Slotted at 64 to engage stud 63 is a lever 65 pivoted on a stud 66 supported by the frame cap 2l. Pivotally connected to lever by the stud 67, which is adjustable in slot 68, is a link 69 also pivotally connected by the stud 7 0 with a slide 71 which is mounted on frame cap 21. At the forward end of slide 71 is adjustably secured by screw 72, the fabric edge guide 60. Through the connections described vit will be apparent that when the tape guide 25 is shifted to its lower position, the fabric edge guide 60 will be shifted in adirection to decrease the depth of stitch, while when the tape guide is shifted to its upper position, the fabric edgev guide will be shifted in the opposite direction to increase the depth of stitch. In other words, shifting tape guide 25 to its lower position and to its upper position will respectively cause the fabric edge guide 60 to be moved to the left and to the right as viewed froml the front of the machine. Should a reversal of this shifting action imparted to the fabric edge guide be desired, it may be effected by attaching link 61 to the boss 57 instead of the boss 56 (see dotted lines, Fig. 5) in which case the overhanging lip 59 of theedge guide would be removed or an edge guide without the said overhanging lipl would be substituted for the one shown. r1`he extent of movement imparted to the edge guide may be varied by adjusting the stud 67 in the slot 68, also the relative location of the field of movement of said edge guide may be changed by adjusting it upon the slide 7l by means of the screw 72.

From the foregoing it will be clear that shifting of both the tape guide 25 and the fabric edge guide 60 are effected by force applied to plunger 30 in the direction of its longitudinal axis, said force being applied either directly by the machine operator or by the spring 32. Furthermore, longitudinal movement of slide 62 is obviously effected in asimilar manner due to its connection through link 6l with cylinder 35. This movement of slide 62 is transferred through the yolre 73 'to a lever 7% the latter being` associated with feed controlling mechanism designated in a general way by the numeral 75. This mechanism in itself constitutes no part of my present invention. It is fully shown and set forth in a pending application, filed in the United States Patent Office November 2, 19H, Serial Number 869,936 and therefore need not be herein described in detail.

lt is the function of this feed controlling mechanism to vary the duration of the hereinbefore mentioned non-feeding intervals-,21 one setting of the mechanism may effect a non-feeding interval of suiicient duration to include eight stitch forming cycles of the stitch forming elements whereby a shell composed of eight stitches will be produced, while another setting may shorten the non-feeding interval to include only four stitch forming cycles, so that a shell of only four stitches will be produced. The arrangement shown to effect a coperation between the guide shifting devices and the feed controlling mechanism permits of an edge nish being produced in which the shells formed when the tape is included therein will be made up of a different numbei' of stitches than when said tape is eX- cluded therefrom. It will be understood, iowever, that the feed employed may be uniform in its character, in whichevent the tape and edge guide shifting mechanism would be entirely independent of the feed controlling mechanism. Also the tape guide shifting mechanism while well adapted for association with the fabric edge guide, may be independent thereof.y The invention is Y not limited in this respect but resides more particularly in the relation of the tape guide and its peculiar shifting mechanism to the stitch forming elements.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is l. In a sewing machine, the combination with stitch forming elements, a support, a bodily and angularly movable tape guide carried by said support and shiftable into operative and inoperative relation with respect to the stitch forming elements, a movable latch for holding said tape guide in a position to which it may be shifted manually and mechanism for bodily and angularly shift-ing the tape guide to another position when the latch is released.

2. In a sewing' machine,A in combination with stitch forming elements, a support having a bore and an inclined slot, a plunger shiftable in the bore of the support, and provided with an arm extending through the inclined slot in said support, whereby bodily movement of said carrier in the direction of its longitudinal aXis will also cause a swinging movement thereof about the same aXis, and a tape guide secured to the arm.

3. In a sewing machine, in combination with stitch forming elements, a support, a tape guide carried by the support, mechanism for simultaneously movingV the tape guide bodily and angularly to change its position with respect to the stitch forming elements, and a fabric edge guide positively operable in opposite directions by the tape guide.

e. ln a sewing machine, in combination with stitch forming elements, a support, a tape guide carried by he support, mecha nisni for simultaneously moving the tape guide bodily and angularly, to change its position with respect to the stitch forming elements, a fabric edge guide operatively associated with the mechanism for moving the tape guide, and mechanism for varying the amplitude of movement of one of said guides for a given movement of the other guide,

in a sewing machine,` in combination with stitch forming elements, a support, a tape Ouide carried by tle support, mechavnism for simultaneously moving the tape guide bodily and angularly `to change its position with respect to the stitch forming elements, a fabric edge guide'operatively associated with the mechanism for moving wvhe tape guide, mechanism for varying the amplitude` of movement of one of said guides for a given movement of the other guide, and means for changing the relative position of the guides.

G. ln a sewing` machine, in combination with stitch forming elements, a stationary support having a slot, a pair of movable members carried by the support, one of said movable members having a slot angularly disposed with respect to the slot in the support, and a tape guide carried by the other member and engaging both of said slots whereby movement of one of the members will cause the tape guide to move in a helical path into or out of operative relation with respect to the stitch forming elements. l

7. ln a sewing machine, in combination with stitch forming elements, a support, a bodily and angularly movable tape guide carried by said support and shiftable into operative and inoperative relation with rethe position of the fabric edge guide will be dependent upon the position of the tape guide.

S. In a sewing machine, in combination with stitch forming elements, a support having a bored head provided with an inclined slot, a cylinder loosely surrounding the head of the support and provided with a straight slot, a plunger extending intothe bore of the support and manually shittable in one direction of the extent of its longitudinal axis, a spring for shifting said plunger in the opposite direction, a tape guido secured to the plunger and extending through both the spiral slot. in the head of the support and the straight slotl in the cylinder, whereby endwise bodily movement ot' the plunger will cause a like movement and an angular movement ot' thc tape guide and an angular movement of the cylinder, a fabric edge guide, and means for transferring motion from the cylinder to said lfabric edge guide.

9. In a sewing machine, in combination with stitch forming elements, a frame cap, a support secured to the frame cap, a bodily and angularly movable tape guide carried by said support, a cylinder also carried by said support and movable by the tape guide, a slide mounted on the trame cap, a fabric edge guide secured to said slide, and means interposed between the cylinder and the slide whereby movement of said cylinder will shift said slide.

10. In a sewing machine, in combination with the stitch forming elements, a chaining linger having a groove, a tape guide, and mechanism for shitting the tape guide in a helical path to change its position with respect to the groove of the chaining linger.

11. In a sewing machine, in combination with stitch forming elements, a frame cap, a support secured to the frame cap, a bodily and angularly movable tape guide carried by said support, a cylinder also carried by said support, and movable by the tape guide, a pair of slides mounted on the trame cap, a fabric edge guide secured to one ot said slides, feed mechanism controlled by the other slide and operable to change the character of finish produced by the stitch torming elements, and means for connecting the cylinder with both ot the slides whereby movement of said cylinder will eect movement of said slides.

12. In a sewing machine, in combination with stitch forming elements, a support, a tape guide carried by the support, means for simultaneously moving-the tape guide bodily and angularly, to vary its relation to the stitch forming elements, a pair of slides, a

fabric edge guide secured to one of the slides, feed mechanism controlled by the other slide and operable to change the character of nnish produced by the stitch forming elements, and means for associating both of the slides with the tape guide whereby movement of the latter will eect movement of the slides.

13. In a sewing machine, in combination with stitch forming elements, a support, a bodily and angularly movable tape guide carried by the support, a longitudinally fixed element angularly movable with the tape guide, a latch associated with said element for holding the tape guide in one position, and mechanism Jroi movingl the tape guide to another position.

lll. In a sewing machine, in combination with stitch forming elements, a support, a bodily and angularly movable tape guide carried by the support, a longitudinally, i'iXed element angularly movable with the tape guide, a latch associated with said element for holding the tape guide in one position, mechanism for moving the tape guide to another position, and an ec ge guide operatively associated with the longitudinally fixed angularly movable element.

15. In a sewing machine, in combination with stitch forming mechanism, a support having a bored head provided with an inclined slot.` a plunger longitudinally movable in the bore of the support, a tape guide secured to the plunger and extending through the inclined slot, a spring for moving the plunger to one position, and a latch for holding the plunger' in another position.

16. In a sewing machine, in combination with the stitch forming elements, a support having a bored head provided with an inclined slot, a plunger longitudinally movable in the bore in the support and having a projection in engagement with the inclined slot, a tape guide secured to the plunger, a spring for moving the plunger to one position, and a latch for holding the plunger in another position.

17. In a sewing machine, in combination with stitch forming elements, a movable tape guide, an element adjacent to the tape guide and operable thereby, a pair of slides, a fabric edge guide secured to one of the slides, feed mechanism controlled by the other slide, and means tor connecting lthe tape guide actuated element with both of the slides, whereby movement of the tape guide will eliect correlated movement of the slides.

SAMUEL W. AVIS.

Witnesses:

F. W. SPELLMAN, F. E. ANDERSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

